Q. Explain Computer-aided circuit analysis?

A word of caution is appropriate if this is the student's first experience with simulation. Just as the proliferation of calculators did not eliminate the need to understand the theory of mathematics, circuit simulation programs do not eliminate the need to understand circuit theory.

However, computer-aided tools can free the engineer from tedious calculations, thereby freeing more time for doing the kind of creative work a computer cannot do.

A circuit-analysis program known as SPICE, an acronym for simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis, is introduced in this section. The original SPICE program was developed in the early 1970s at the University of California at Berkeley. Since that time, various SPICE-based commercial products have been developed for personal computer and workstation platforms.

A block diagram summarizing the major features of a SPICE-based circuit simulation program is shown in Figure. Micro Sim Corporation has developed a design center in which the input processor is called Schematics, the simulation processor is a version of SPICE called PSpice, and the output processor is called PROBE. These three programs,working together, create a graphical environment inwhich the circuit diagramand the analysis objectives are entered using Schematics, the circuit is analyzed using PSpice, and the resulting circuit responses are viewed using PROBE.